342% Chris Hani Water Tariff Increase

Statement by Dr Vicky Knoetze MPL – DA Leader of the Official Opposition in the Eastern Cape Legislature:

The Democratic Alliance has lodged formal objections against the proposed 342% water tariff increase in the Chris Hani District Municipality for the 2026/27 financial year.

I have written to the Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC, Zolile Williams, to raise our concerns over this exorbitant proposed increase.

DA councillors from all six local municipalities in the district have also written to the Chris Hani District Municipality’s Municipal Manager, Mr Mashiyi, objecting to the Draft Tariff Schedule Proposal.

Under the reported proposal, the lowest domestic water block would increase from R13.80 per kilolitre to R61.00 per kilolitre, an increase of just over 342%. This would make Chris Hani’s lowest domestic tariff approximately 2.8 times higher than Joe Gqabi’s equivalent rate and roughly 18.8 times higher than Alfred Nzo’s.

This increase is excessive, unreasonable, and unaffordable for households, businesses, schools, clinics, churches, NPOs, and other institutions already under severe financial pressure.

Residents in Chris Hani are already dealing with high unemployment, rising food and transport costs, water interruptions, infrastructure failures, leaks, poor maintenance, delayed responses, and inconsistent service delivery.

It is unacceptable to expect residents to pay dramatically higher tariffs when the municipality has not provided the public with a clear calculation model, a cost-of-supply study, an affordability assessment, or a proper explanation for the proposed increase.

Section 74 of the Municipal Systems Act requires municipal tariffs to be fair, equitable, transparent, and proportionate to the cost of providing services.

Any tariff adjustment must also take affordability, indigent support, and the local economy into account.

The DA has requested that the municipality provide the full basis for the proposed increase, including the tariff-calculation model, affordability assessment, indigent-support details, metering-fairness measures, and proof of meaningful public participation.

A copy of the letter is attached for reference.

Public participation cannot be treated as a box-ticking exercise. Residents must be given the information needed to understand, question, and challenge a tariff proposal of this scale.

The people of Chris Hani deserve affordable, transparent, and accountable municipal governance. Any tariff increase must be lawful, reasonable, and socially sustainable.

The DA will continue to oppose unjustified increases that punish residents for municipal failures. Municipalities must fix broken infrastructure, reduce losses, improve billing accuracy, and protect vulnerable households before imposing unaffordable increases on communities already stretched to breaking point.